The 14 government agencies tasked to draft the implementing rules and regulations of the Rice Tariffication Act will do well to work double-time and finish their task within the 45-day deadline set by the law to avoid a repeat of a mistake committed by those who bungled the implementation of the Ease of Doing Business Act or Republic Act 11032.
The reminder was made by Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Ray Villafuerte on Sunday, adding that the opening of the domestic rice market to private trader will already come into effect by March 5, other provisions of the law needed to be threshed out through the IRRs.
Other issues pertain to the need for the National Food Authority to maintain a nationwide rice buffer stock, imposition of special rice safeguards and mechanisms to ensure the effective implementation of programs under the rice competitiveness enhancement fund to benefit palay growers, said Villafuerte, a co-author of the rice law (RA 11203).
Under the rice law, 14 government agencies led by the Department of Agriculture, along with the Department of Budget and Management and the National Economic and Development Authority have been tasked to promulgate the IRRs of the law 45 days from its passage.
He earlier chided the Department of Trade and Industry and Anti-Red Tape Authority for the delay in the speedy implementation of the Ease of Doing Business Act over their failure to submit the complete set of the law’s IRRs to Malacañang in October 2018.